Trap-nest.



F. L. MORGAN.

TRAP NEST.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1913.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

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F. L. MORGAN.

TRAP NEST.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. n, 1913.

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F. L. MORGAN.

TRAP NEST.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. n, 1913.

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FRANCIS L. MORGAN, OF WAYLAND, IOWA.

TRAP-NEST.

Application filed January 11, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANCIS L. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Wayland, Henry county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Trap- Nest, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for trap nests.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for springing and closing a trap nest.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for releasing a hen from a nest after and because of the deposit of an egg.

A further object of this invention is to provide means to prevent the entrance of a second hen to a nest before the first has left the same.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for marking and identifying a bird entering a trap nest.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a plan of the device with the top removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation illustrating the device with the door open, dotted lines indicating closed position of the parts; Fig. 3 is a front elevation illustrating the device with the door open, dotted lines indicating closed position of the parts, portions of the frame being broken away to reveal interior construction. Figs. 2 and 3 are on a scale reduced relative to Fig. 1.

In the construction of the device as shown a housing is formed of corner posts 10, 11, 12, 13, side walls 14, 15, end walls 16, 17 and a top 18. The walls and top need not be and preferably are not entirely solid but serve substantially to inclose and protect the nest and working parts of the device. The front 16 preferably rises higher than the other walls and is formed with a portal 19 in which a door 20 is hinged by its lower margin. A rod 21 is mounted through and connects the rear legs l2, l3 and a bar 22 is pivotally mounted on and depends from said rod. A nest board or support 23 is fixed to and extends forwardly from the bar 22 and carries a nest 2-1. The nest 24 may be of any desired size and construction Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

Serial No. 741,594.

but preferably is lined with some soft material. A cleat 24: preferably is fixed to the forward marginal portion of the nest 24 to afford a stepping place for the fowls in entering and leaving the nest. A crossbar 25 connects central portions of side members 14, 15 and a bracket 26 is fixed to and depends from the central portion of said crossbar. A lever 27 is fulcrumed in termediate of its ends on the bracket 26 and carries a weight 28 on its rear end. The forward end of the lever 27 is pivotally connected by a link 29 to the forward end portion of the nest board 23, and the weight 28 is suiliciently heavy to maintain the weight of the nest board and nest in elevated position; but the weight of a hen on the nest is suflicient to overcome the preponderance of the weight 28. Thus the nest 24: normally is maintained in elevated position as shown. A bracket 30 is fixed to and extends rearwardly and downwardly from one lower corner of the door 20 and hooked detents 31, 32 are pivoted on a bolt 33 in said bracket and extend downwardly therefrom. A keeper 3-1 is fixed to one side of the forward end of the nest board 23 and loosely embraces the lower end of the hooked detent 31. Downward movement of the forward end of the nest board 23, caused by a hen stepping on the forward margin of the nest 2%, applies draft through the keeper 34, detent 31 and bracket 30 to the end of closing the door 20 and barring further entrance to or exit from the nest. A keeper 35 is fixed to a lower frame member 36 of the nest and loosely embraces the hooked detent 32 at times. \Vhen the door 20 is closed as above described, the detent 32 moves downwardly into the keeper 35 and at the limit of movement the hook of said detent engages said keeper and maintains the door in closed position.

The nest 2% is formed with a hole 37 in its bottom of such size as to permit the passage of an egg, and an egg chute 38 leads from said hole downwardly and forwardly to an egg receptacle 39 mounted at the forward end of the housing. The upper end portion of the egg chute is made of flexible material to permit downward movement of the nest 24:. The egg receptacle 39 preferably is formed with a lining or padding 40 of some soft material to protect the egg as it is received therein. A removable door 41 is adapted to close the front of the egg receptacle 39. A latching lever 42 is pivoted across the outside of the door 41 and is adapted to engage at its ends hooked keepers 43, 44 fixed to and projecting forwardly from top and bottom respectively of the egg box. A heating chamber 45 is mounted beneath the egg receptacle 39 and is adapted to receive and contain a hot brick or other heat-radiating body in severe weather to prevent freezing of the eggs contained in said receptacle. The heating chamber 45 may be provided with any convenient means of access. A' bracket 46 is fixed to and extends rearvvardly from the top of the egg receptacle 39and a lever 47 is fulcrumed near its upper end on a bolt 48 extending through said bracket. The lever 47 depends within the egg chute 38 and is of suflicient Width and length approximately to bar the entrance-to the egg receptacle. The upper end of the lever 47 extends upwardly through an opening in the top of the chute 38 and to'the front of the position occupied by the lower end'of the hooked detent 32 when said detent'is in engagement with the keeper The impact of an egg rolling down the chute from the nest 24 is sufficient to trip the lever 47, the upper end of which will "strike the detent 32-and also the detent 31' and disengage the same fromthe keepers 35 34 respectively, thus permitting the door*20 to fall of its own weight. A curtam-49, preferably of canvas, is suspended Within and from the top of the chute 38 at the rear of the lever 47, and is designed to prevent drafts of cold air ascending the chute to the nest 24 in winter weather.

Alever' 50 is fulcrumed on a bolt 51 at one side of the forward end of the nest board 23 and the outer end of said lever extendsbeyond and above a side frame member of the housing. The inner end of the lever 50 is formed with a segment 52 meshing with a pinion 53 mounted for rotary oscillation on the forward end of the nest board 23. A curved brush arm 54 is fixed-at one end to the pinion 53, at one side of the vertical plane of the segment 52,"and said arm extends across to the op posite side of the housing from the lever 50 and carries on its outer end a small paint brush 55. Thebrush- 55 normally rests in the pan of a fountain paint can 56 adapted to contain watercolor paint or any mixture suitable for the'purpose. When the for Ward end of the nest board 23 moves clownwardly under the weight of av hen entering the nest, the lever 50 is carried downwardly until its outer end contacts with and is stopped by the frame member 15. Further movement of the nest board 23 causes an oscillation of the segment 52, pinion 53 and brush arm'54, causing the brush 55 to move upwardly through an are past the front of thenest 24,"to the end of-applying paintfrom the can 56 to aleg band carried by the fowl entering the nest. Thus provision is made for marking each bird which enters the nest and securing a record of the egg production of the individuals comprising the flock.

In practical use the device is set with the door 20 in open position as shown in Fig. 2. A hen desiring to deposit an egg steps upon the door, passes through the )ortal l9 ste as UJOII the front mar in of the nest24, and closes the door 20 as previously described, at the same time receiving a paint mark from the brush 55. The weight of the hen causes a lowering of the nest and raising of the weight 28 as above described. Whcn'the egg is deposited it passes-through the hole 37, and chute 38, brushing aside the curtain 49 and tripping thelever'47, and entering the receptacle 35). The movement of the lever 47 releases the door-2O as above explained, and allows the hen to pass from the nest. It will be understood that when her weight is removed from the nest the weight 28 raises same to its normal position, in readiness for another hen. The raising of the nest also causes a re-engagement of the detent 31 with the keeper I have provided an auxiliary skeleton door 57, preferably of wire, hinged at its bottom in the portal 19 immediately at the rear of the door 20. The auxiliary door 57 is raised with the doorQO when thenest is closed, but does not fall therewith when said door 20 is released. A stop 58 on the auxiliary door 57 which bears against the rear face of the threshold of the portal 19 prevents said auxiliarydoor being pushed rearwardly beyond the vertical plane,-thus avoidlngthe possibility of a second hen entering-the nest before the preceding hen has left." At the same time the auxiliary door 57 may be easily pushed forward by the hen desiring to leave the nest.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise construction herein shown and described, as various modifications-may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. A trap 'nest, comprising a housing, a nest'pivoted for'vertical movement within said housing, a door to said housing, pivotal connections between said nest and door an egg passing along said chute for releasnest pivoted for vertical movement in saidhousing, a door to said housing, pivotal connections between said nest and door whereby the latter may be closed by down ward movement of the former, an egg chute leading from said nest, means operable by an egg passing along said chute i'orreleas ing the door, and hen-marking devices operable by downward movement of said nest.

5. A. trap nest, comprising a housing, a nest pivoted for vertical movement in said housing, means for normally maintaining said nest in elevated position, a door to said housing, and pivotal connections between said nest and door operable by downward movement of said nest to close said door, said pivotal connections being releasable upon the deposit of an egg in said nest.

6. A trap nest, comprising a housing, a nest pivoted for vertical movement in said housing, a door to said housing, a weight adapted to maintain said nest normally in elevated position, connections between said nest and door for closing the latter by downward movement of the nest, a chute leading from said nest, and a lever pivoted within said chute and adapted to release the connections between said nest and door.

7. A trap nest, comprising a housing, a nest pivoted for vertical movement-in Said housing, a door to said housing, a weight adapted to maintain said nest normally in elevated oosition connections between said nest and door for closing the latter by downward movement of the nest, a chute leading from said nest, an egg receptacle communicating with said chute, means operable by an egg passing along said chute for releasing the door, and means for reengaging the connections between said nest and door.

8. A trap nest, comprising a housing, a nest pivoted for vertical movement in said housing, a doorto said housing, a weight adapted to maintain said 'nest normally in elevated position, connections between said nest and door for closing the latter by downward movement of said nest, hen-marking devices operable by downward movement of said nest, a chute leading from said nest to an egg receptacle, and means operable by an egg passing along said chute for releasing said door.

9. 1n a trap nest having a nest mounted for vertical movement, a hen-marking device comprising a vpaint fountain, a brush normally resting in said fountain and pivoted at one end to said nest, a pinion on the pivot of and fixed to said brush, and a lever pivoted to and operable by downward movement of said nest, said lever formed with a segment meshing with said pinion.

10. A trap nest, comprising a housing, a nest pivoted for vertical movement in said housing, a door to said housing, a weight adapted to maintain said nest normally in elevated position, a keeper on said nest, a detent pivoted on said door and loosely engaging said keeper, a chute leading from said nest, and a lever in said chute adapted to release said detent from its keeper.

11. A trap nest, comprising a housing, a nest pivoted for vertical movement in said housing, a door to said housing, a weight adapted to maintain said nest normally in elevated position, a keeper on said nest, a detent pivoted on said door and loosely engaging said keeper, a chute leading from said nest, a lever in said chute adapted to release said detent from its keeper, and means independent of said detent and keeper for holding said door in closed position, said latter means being releasable by said lever.

12.1n a trap nest, a nest hinged for vertical movement, a door adapted to be closed by downward movement of said nest, and an auxiliary door independently hinged and adapted to be closed with the first door, said auxiliary door adapted to be opened outwardly independently of and subsequent to the opening of the main door.

Signed by me at \Vavland, Iowa, this twelfth day of October, 1912.

FRANCIS L. MORGAN.

Witnesses:

J AY GLENN SGHAFER, Mrs. F. L. MORGAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

